Dirigible headlight



W. V. VAN ETTEN DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT .-Ocg. 23, A19.23.

Original Filed Ju ne 24. 1922 mventoz Y ed to 'be controlled Patented @et 23, i923,

f g tantes lp Arsmjlfqg FFI CE` WILLIAM v. vnnfnfrfrnn, or` nvnanmutfwasmneron meistens' HADLSI'GHT.

Application ined :rune a4, 1522, serial m1570524; aenewes myk 1s, 1923,17"

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, WILLIAM KV. -VAN `ETTEN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing atk Everett, in the county of lSino4 homishfandState of Washingtonfhave invented a new and useful Improvement 1n Dirigible Headlightsfof which they follow' ing is a speciication.

- My'invention relates to improvements in dirigible headlights, and'more particularly to headlights of that character foruse on automobiles and 'similarv vehicles, and ladapt- 'ingmechanism V a t is the object of this invention toprovide means'whereby the direction of'light cest from the headlight may, at all times, be automatically maintained in the ldirection of travel'of the steering wheelsof the vehicle,l

More specifically, it is the objectof the invention toprovide means' vfor rotatably Y supporting a vehicles headlights and to provide mechanism whereby the headlightsupports are operatively connected with ceri tain members, of the vehicle steering gear whereby the headlights will be automatically rotatated in accordance with the change of direction of travel of the steering wheels ofthe vehicle. Y

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of the parts'em- Y bodied in the invention and in their combination and mode of operation. Y

ln accomplishing these and otherobjects of the invention, l have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein' Fig. 1 is a partial front view of an automobile equipped with a dirigible headlight in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 isa plan view, showing the manner of mounting the headlight and the means for operating it from the front wheelsteer- Y.

ing knuckle arm. y 'Y Fig. 3 is aside view of a headlight and' its supporting bracket; parts of the bracket .being shown in section' for `better illustration.

Fig. 4 is a vperspective view of a headlight support and lightsteering mechanism -embodied by the present invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawingsi Y 1 designates the front axle of an autof mobile, which may be of any of the usual from the vehicle steersteering knuckle 3;the`latter beingrotatably" fixedbetween the arms of a? yoke 4 `,at

theendofthe axle'by means of al vertical -type's,`and 2 a front, steering wheel there()ff'lp` which is mounted upon the` spindle of a pivot V.bolt 5.- The knuckle is'V controlledf" -or steered, by means of a rearwardly ex- 1 tending arm 7 that is fixed *within the knuckle and, at 'its rearward end, iscon-r designated in its ventirety at 10, having a base plate 1l adapted to seatupon the axle 1.with a downturnedV Hange 121 engaging y with the rearward Iedge of the axle. 'U-bolts Y .13 'enclose the axle and opposite ends of the plate to'secure the samerigidly Vupon rthe axle. Fixed to the upper face ofthe base plate 11, in superimposed relation, are for-` wardly extending plates 14 and 15, `and anV g upwardly extended arm 16 provided with a forwardly turned end portion 17 that is vertically alined with the forward end portions of the plates 14 Aand 15. 'A vert-ical shaft.

or post, 18 is extended rotatably through' openings 1n these alined ends upon which a headlight 19 is mounted'.

The forward endportions'of the plates 14 and 15 `arespaced apart, and between them Vis fitted one end of a forwardly extending lever arm 20. This Varm has a trunnion 21 at its inner end tted within a socket 22in the plate 14 and has a central aperture 23 therein through which the squared lower end 24 of theshaft 18 is extended so that,'bv movement of the outer end of the lever arm,

the shaft will be rotated accordingly to`4 change the direction ofthe headlight. s

The forwardend of the lever arm 20 is pivotally Y connected by means of a bolt 25' with one endof a link` 26 which, at its opposite end, is pivotally connected by means of a bolt 26 with the `forward end of a lever -27'that is fixed tothe steering knuckle arm 7; the connection being such that Inove-` ment ofthe steering knuckle arm eifects a like movement of the lever 20-whereby the y lamp is rotated.

VThe lever 27 preferably consists of a flat bar that istwistedV at its center, as shown in Figure 2, so lthatlit may bek extended ilo y Los ' throughthe .yoke .Within the vknuckle yand 'vitheiltirterferena and whh ,hasfdowrh turned flanges 28 at its inner end edges that lit against opposite sides of lthe arm to insure rigidity. Thel'everis ixedto-the arm by means of two U-bolts 29 which ellcloser -1- the lbelt* 2 5, which preventsvgibration of the link from efeeting the 'lamp steering arm the parts so constructed and assembled onthe vehicle, it yis Areadily ap.

parent that so long as --the vehicle ftravels in-,a str'aight,.forward course the headlight` Willtycast y its lightr directly k1forward, Vbut .should J- the ksteering knuckle be turned in either. directionto change the course of the vehicle, the headlightwilh by theconnectl ing-'means provided, be V.turned 'accordingly Y ,so` that itsllight Will be directed in the di-l 25 Arectiont oftrzwel` of the Wheels.

` ,In thisfinannertlie usualldisadvantagd resulting from the headlights' being rigidly ,mounted on the vvvehicle frame, is overcome and safety tothe driver while making turns and to. othersqvho vn :iayf be traveling iny an opposite direction isrnsured.

Having thus desrbed my invention,

.what 'I claim as, new therein- L and fdesire to vsecure by Letters-iatent, is:

The combination with a vehicle having a Afront axle and asteer-ing Wheel supporting knuckle mounted at the end of the axle, provided with a steering arm extending ,rearwardly therefromofa dirigible headlight mechanism comprising a bracket having a base plate overlying the axle and provided Witha down turnedlange along its innerredge engageablevith. the edgeof the n axle, U-bolts enclosing the axle andy ends of the base plate to retain the bracket invxed position, yan arm `iixed centrally of the base plate and .extending,forwardlyl therefrom and provided with a forward end opening,

an arm extending upwardly and n forwardly from the base plate in,lvertical alinement wvith. the lirst named arm, said armshaving vertically alined openings in .thirforward ends,a iheadlight supporting shaft `rotatably mounted in said openings, a lever `havingits inner end fitted Within the :forward opening of the first namedarm andifixed to.: the lamp supporting shaft, ga* lever fixed to 4the steeringxknuckle arm and extending yf or- .xvardly or" the axle, .and a link pivotally connecting the said lever with,

the k,shaft rotating lever. yWILLIAM V. VAN ILIrIEN.` 

